Automatic take-up bearing



Sept. y13, 1927.'

. l 642 476 J. A. ANDERSON AUTOMATIC TAKEL-UP BEARING Filed Nov. 26,"1926 t I r"g 'v f` vf 7"// #25 Y. s//O 23; K2@

7kg/01 effen JJ VZ Patented y Sept. 13, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN A. ANDERSON, OF GENESEO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T BARTLE'IT S. GRAY,.TRUSTEE OF GENESEO, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC TAKE-Ur BEARING.

Applicationvflled November 26, 1926. Serial No. 150,883.

This invention relates to a bearing having a member which is adjustabletoward a rotating part journaled inthe bearing, and is concerned moreparticularly with means associated with said adjustable member foradvancing the same automatically as wear occurs upon the surfaces underfriction. It maybe employed advantageously for many purposes andparticularly so in connection with a split bearing such as is commonlyused in the connecting rod of many kinds of engines. In the. descriptionto follow'reference` will be made to the present bolt in relation to aconventional connecting rod, 16 although, as above suggested, it may beapplied to other uses as Well.

It is an object of my invention to provide simple and eifective meanswhich will act automatically to take Yup bearing wear occasioned throughusage, thereby preventing development of play or lost motion. The meansdevised for this purpose includes a bolt having an associated spring forimparting rotation thereto, whereby a movable bearing part is advancedwhenever permitted to do soby the development of wear or play. The partsfor this purpose are also so combined' and` associated as to utilizeforces of momentum which are generated in a connecting rod bearing asthe `crank pin is revolvedthrough its movement cycle or a wrist pin isstroked back and forth. According t0 this invention an advance of theadjustable bearin member to a new position will be maintained against`reactive forces of momentum occurring during each movement cycle of therod.' Furthermore, theparts which act to advance such an adjustablebearing member are themselves held 4 against play,l so that pressureonce placed u on the bearing member will remain there a ter constant'andnon-variable.

It is with' yobjects such asthese that the present improvements areconcerned. `Other advantages are also derived from the invention as willbe pointed out hereinafter in the specification and claims. Anembodimentof my invention is set forth in the accompanying drawing in the mannerfollowing:

"Figure 1 shows `an elevation -ofaconnecting rod in o erative relationto a piston and crank pin, t ese latter parts `being shown 1n section iFig. 2 is an enlarged detail in section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a detail in elevation of the takeup bolt mechanism per se.

As illustrative of one use to which my take-up device may be applied, Ihave shown in the drawing a connecting rod A. formed with a bearing atone end for the wrist pin 5 of a piston B, and at its .other end with abearing for a crank pin 6` which is movable through a circular Vpath asdelineated by the line 7. The bearings at the two ends of the connectingrod may be generally similar so that a description of but one-the loweronewill be given in detail.

Referring particularly to Figs. 2 and 3,V the lower end of theconnecting rod carries a strap 8 which may be secured in place as bymeans of bolts 9. Mounted within the `strap is a movable bearing member10 which, in co-operation with the proximate end l,of the conecting rod,furnishes seats forbabbitts 11 between which is journaled a crank pin 6.r

From the end of the strap 8 is extended a cylindrical shell 12 having atits extremity an outturned flange 13. (3o-operating with this shell is acap 14 which has an inwardly extending flange 15. I surround the shellwith a coiled spring 16 which exerts opposing pressures on the twoflanges 13 and 15 whereby the cap is urged towardv the connecting rod.

Forniedinteriorly of the shell are threads 17 having a rather steeppitch, of perhaps 221/2 degrees, for `co-operation with similarly formedthreads on a bolt 18 which may be advanced rotatably within the shell.Asso` ciated with the bolt is a separable end meinber 19 also threadedVfor rotatable advancement Vwithin the shell and provided with a. key2() adapted to enter aslot 21 in the bolt end/so as to transmit rotarymotion thereto. The outer extremity of the end member is cone-shaped soas to bear at a single point 22 against the end of the` cap14. Theremote end of the bolt 18 is provided with an inverted cone head 23which iits within a correspondingly shaped socket 211 inthe bearingmember 10.` The Awalls of this socket at its small end are preferablystraightened :out as at 25 for a purpose which will presently appear.

lith an automatic take-up device of the kind described, the spring 16exerts upon the end member 19 a constant pressure which tends 4toadvance the bolt rotatably, thereby shifting the bearing,` member Vasvneeded to take up wear. The cone head on the bolt coacts with thesocket 24 after the manner 'of a friction clutch so as to resistanyopposing force proceeding from the bearing member which might have theeffect of causing the bolt to retract from -an advanced position.Should'the walls of the socket 24 wear away after long and continued useof the device, lthebolt head can enter further int-o the cylindrical end25 of the socket, its friction therewithin remaining unimpaired becauseof this Vspecial provision.

The construction just described is followed in the mai-n at the wristpin end of the connecting rod. It lis possible, however, to dispensewith the strap-8 and in lieu thereof provide in the body of the rod asuitable opening in which maybe received the movable 'bearing member.vIn other respects the construction is substantially the same. If thepresent take-up bolts be used in any such manner as has been suggested.forces of momentum will develop with each reciprocat-ion -of theconnecting -rod such as tend gto move the bolts in one direction or theother. It is desired that each bolt be assisted in its forward movement,and this I p have provided for in the spring- 16. It is equallydesirable that reverse movement -of the bolts be opposed, and for thisreason I make use of the friction between the cone heads and the socketsin which they are scated. By the means described the bolts are assuredof a. one-way mov-ement, so that pressure once exerted upon the movablebearingl member will not relax.

The. entire assembly of parts forming` 'the present talre-up mechanismis simple and inexpensive and experience has proven its value inservice. I desire, therefore, that protection should be accorded asdetined by the claims following` in which are set forth the essentialsor principles of this invention.

I claim:

1. In a bearing, an adjustable member movable .toward a rotating partwhich is journaled within the bearing, a bolt having a head infrictional engagement with said member and extended away from therotating part., means surrounding the `bolt having a `stationarymounting on thelbear'ina'n interengaging threads on said means and 'boltso pitched as to cause the bolt to be rotatively advanced in response topressure directed endwise thereupon, an end member associated with thebolt having` similar threads also co-operating with said means, Vandspring means exerting upony said end member a constant tension in thedirection of said rotating part such that the bolt tends to advance inthat direction to transmit a like movement to the adjustable bearingmember, substantially as described.

2.111 a bearing, an adjustable kmember movable toward a. rotating partwhich is journaled within the bearing', a guideway for the adjustablemember, a shell carried by the quideway` a bolt within the shell havinga cone `head in frictional engage ment with the adjustable member, a capsur rounding the shell., a spring tending to draw the cap toward theguideway,an end member associated with the bolt receiving pressure fromthe vcap vand having a mounting within the shell, and interengagingscrew threads on the shell, bolt, and end member having a pitchsutiiciently steep to cause the end member and bolt to be rotativelyadvanced in response to spring pressure upon the end member,substantially as described.

3. A bearing having two members. one fixed and the other adjustable, ascrew threaded bolt bearing against the adjustable member, a screwthreaded mounting` for the bolt station ary with relation to the vtiredbearing, the interengagingy threads of the bolt and mountingbeing ofsuch a pitch as' to induce travel of the bolt therein in response topressure exerted endwise upon the bolt, and tension means associatedwith the bolt and transmitting' thereto an endwise force such that thebolt tends to move and thereby advance the adjustable member,substantially as described.

4. A ybearing having;` two members, one fixed and the other adjustable,a screw threaded bolt bearing friction ally against the adjustablemember, a screw threaccd mounting;` for the bolt stationary withrelation to the fixed bearing, the interenejaging threads of the Aboltand mounting being of such a pitch as to induce travclof the bolttherein in response to pressure exerted rendw-ise upon the bolt, andtension means associated with the. boit and transmitting thereto anendwise force such that the bolt tends to move and thereby advance theadjustable member, the friction of the bolt with the adjustable memberbeing such as to resist reactive movement of the former, substantiallyas described. Y

5. A bearing having two members, one Xed and the other adjustable, ascrew threaded bolt bearing against the adjustable member, a screw thraded mounting for the bolt stationary with relation to the fixedbearing. the interengaging threads of the `bolt and mounting being' ofsuch'a pitch as to induce travel of theibolt therein in response topressure exerted endwise upon the bolt, a pointed end member aise screw'threaded for co-operation with.y the mounting and for exerting an endpressure upon y(In 10 'bearing against the adjustable member, a

mounting for the screw means stationary with relation to the xedbearing, the interengaging threads of the screw means and mountin beingof such a pitch as to induce travel o the screw means in response topressure exerted endwise thereupon, and teny sion means associated withthe screw means for ap lying an end pressure thereto, sub stantia 1y asdescribed.

JOHN A. ANDERSON.

